I'm a little surprised the Moto X wouldn't be faster, there are a couple things that are a bit easier on the iPhone than what you described. It's more like
- Push power or home button (home button is probably faster to find coming out of your pocket)
- Swipe up from the bottom of the lock screen. You don't need to find a specific icon or unlock first.
- Tap the onscreen shutter or volume button.

It wouldn't make a big difference speed wise, but depending on how they tested it it could have shaved off some time.

That's basically how my S4 works, too. I can hit the power button while I'm taking it out of my pocket then all I have to do is swipe right to left and my camera is up. I'll agree that either way the process for opening the camera on the Moto X seems less prone to error. One wrong swipe or if you miss the power button and your time for opening the camera on the iPhone 5 or S4 is shot.

I haven't watched the video, but logically the Moto X could be (but I doubt it is) that much slower in actually opening up the camera app or responding to the shake. That seems to be a variable that many people are ignoring.

I also think that when people put down the camera on the Moto X it's because they're comparing it to the newest flagship phones. It will likely be better than most phones people are upgrading from.

That pretty much goes without saying, but Motorola isn't competing with two-year old devices.

Sure they are, it's happened in this tread already:

Originally Posted by GNexROC

Take any more pics? I want to get this phone so bad but the camera is looking like a deal breaker. It doesn't have to be the best camera. Buy it can't be a total piece of junk camera or be a downgrade from my GNex camera.

Reviewers haven't been super happy with the camera, and that gets translated to "junk" when people regurgitate it on forums, so people are getting the impression that the camera is terrible by all cell phone standards, not just by current, top of the line cell phone standards.

That's basically how my S4 works, too. I can hit the power button while I'm taking it out of my pocket then all I have to do is swipe right to left and my camera is up. I'll agree that either way the process for opening the camera on the Moto X seems less prone to error. One wrong swipe or if you miss the power button and your time for opening the camera on the iPhone 5 or S4 is shot.

I haven't watched the video, but logically the Moto X could be (but I doubt it is) that much slower in actually opening up the camera app or responding to the shake. That seems to be a variable that many people are ignoring.

I also think that when people put down the camera on the Moto X it's because they're comparing it to the newest flagship phones. It will likely be better than most phones people are upgrading from.

In the video they actually stated that what really held the S4 back from being competitive was that the software took to long to get the camera up and running.

In the video they actually stated that what really held the S4 back from being competitive was that the software took to long to get the camera up and running.

They didn't have any issues with the Moto X.

I couldn't help doing a quick test on my S4 when I first saw the thread, and I was a little surprised how long it took the camera to load after swiping to the side. Granted, my T-Mobile S4 is still missing the most recent software update but there's a noticeable pause. I remember it taking a bit of time for the camera to queue up on my Nexus 4, but it definitely felt more significant on the S4.

In the end I think this phone is going to be okay. Just have to get used to it.
Hope this was helpful, ask any questions!

Don't know if someone else asked this but can you get an audible notification when say a txt comes in or you set a reminder for something like 'go to store'? I would think JB has that. My Rezound with ICS does. Also nice short review !

He's right. It's not up to par with Siri. Siri does searches and also controls the phone and apps.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Just like in the other thread, it matters a lot on the question, "better for what?" Since they do different things, some of which the other cannot do, at varying competencies, it's a fairly subjective usage based question.

The one key thing in my mind that separates Google Now and Siri is something that I haven't seen anyone really point out very simply and clearly. Google Now is proactive and Siri is reactive. Whereas Siri can set up appointments, launch apps, do some searches, etc., Google Now goes beyond that and pushes information to me when appropriate.

I honestly don't know, but can Siri do any of the things below that Google Now does for me?

When I wake up, I open Google Now and it tells me what my current commute time will be to the office.

When I've searched for a destination earlier, Google Now will later offer that as a destination with navigation and current commute time.

When a package I ordered has been shipped or delivered, Google Now will tell me.

When a package is in transit, Google Now offers me a one-touch option to track the package.

When an appointment is approaching, Google Now will alert me separately from the scheduled notification in order to provide me enough transit time based on the current traffic conditions.

Google Now pushes score updates to me for my favorite teams without my having to go ask for updates.

So to me, it goes way beyond just voice interactions to set up an appointment or launch Facebook. Google Now is a much more complete and helpful tool than Siri. I recall the Popular Science article that named Google Now as "Innovation of the Year." Specifically, this quote:

Voice interfaces like Siri seem outdated by comparison. With Google Now, you dont pull the phone out when an idea occurs to you. You pull it out when an idea occurs to it.
Jacob Ward

The one key thing in my mind that separates Google Now and Siri is something that I haven't seen anyone really point out very simply and clearly. Google Now is proactive and Siri is reactive. Whereas Siri can set up appointments, launch apps, do some searches, etc., Google Now goes beyond that and pushes information to me when appropriate.

I honestly don't know, but can Siri do any of the things below that Google Now does for me?

When I wake up, I open Google Now and it tells me what my current commute time will be to the office.

When I've searched for a destination earlier, Google Now will later offer that as a destination with navigation and current commute time.

When a package I ordered has been shipped or delivered, Google Now will tell me.

When a package is in transit, Google Now offers me a one-touch option to track the package.

When an appointment is approaching, Google Now will alert me separately from the scheduled notification in order to provide me enough transit time based on the current traffic conditions.

Google Now pushes score updates to me for my favorite teams without my having to go ask for updates.

So to me, it goes way beyond just voice interactions to set up an appointment or launch Facebook. Google Now is a much more complete and helpful tool than Siri. I recall the Popular Science article that named Google Now as "Innovation of the Year." Specifically, this quote:

Agreed. I have used siri ever since it came out and its nice but Google now works better for me.

+1 i agree with other review but Google Now not up to par makes me laugh

Then you haven't used Siri especially the iOS 7 version. Siri does far more than Google Now including controlling many aspects of the iPhone. Google Now is also on the iPhone but I rarely use it.
People are always comparing Siri to Google Now without realizing that they are not directly comparable as they do some of the same things but also different things.

This is all in iOS 7 and some of it is in iOS 6. In iOS 7 it's a combination of Siri and background notifications. This information, much of it highly personal, is not retained by Apple and not sold to advertisers like everything you do in Google Now is. Apple's policy is if they don't retain it then they have nothing to turn over to government agencies either.

Originally Posted by jephanie

The one key thing in my mind that separates Google Now and Siri is something that I haven't seen anyone really point out very simply and clearly. Google Now is proactive and Siri is reactive. Whereas Siri can set up appointments, launch apps, do some searches, etc., Google Now goes beyond that and pushes information to me when appropriate.

I honestly don't know, but can Siri do any of the things below that Google Now does for me?

When I wake up, I open Google Now and it tells me what my current commute time will be to the office.

When I've searched for a destination earlier, Google Now will later offer that as a destination with navigation and current commute time.

When a package I ordered has been shipped or delivered, Google Now will tell me.

When a package is in transit, Google Now offers me a one-touch option to track the package.

When an appointment is approaching, Google Now will alert me separately from the scheduled notification in order to provide me enough transit time based on the current traffic conditions.

Google Now pushes score updates to me for my favorite teams without my having to go ask for updates.

So to me, it goes way beyond just voice interactions to set up an appointment or launch Facebook. Google Now is a much more complete and helpful tool than Siri. I recall the Popular Science article that named Google Now as "Innovation of the Year." Specifically, this quote:

This is all in iOS 7 and some of it is in iOS 6. In iOS 7 it's a combination of Siri and background notifications. This information, much of it highly personal, is not retained by Apple and not sold to advertisers like everything you do in Google Now is. Apple's policy is if they don't retain it then they have nothing to turn over to government agencies either.

and Google dont sell user data. thats what most people dont understand how google works.
They use data to show ads but they never sell the user info. have you ever had ad sense account?? I have an account https://www.google.com/adsense/app#home
No user info is revealed to me or any advertisers

Then you haven't used Siri especially the iOS 7 version. Siri does far more than Google Now including controlling many aspects of the iPhone. Google Now is also on the iPhone but I rarely use it.
People are always comparing Siri to Google Now without realizing that they are not directly comparable as they do some of the same things but also different things.

I have used siri on iOS7 since i work on ipad app project. i work on web application for this ipad app and have few test ipad with iOS7 on it.
I test these apps on ipad regularly. I have compared siri vs google now (Nexus) and siri is still lot behind

LOL, to each his own. I did a simple test like "find me the nearest ATM" The X pop opened sites, WTF but siri showed me in distance where the nearest one was.
The X will ask me to resend the audio alot too...

Try, "Take me to the nearest ATM" On my X, it pulls up the location to the nearest ATM's, when I click on the arrow to the right of the location I want, it pulls up Maps, with the fastest route lined in blue and a button on the bottom right to start navigation.